CTRL + Z undoes the last action and can be used several times in a row. To reverse this decision, use CTRL + Y to redo.

The F4 shortcut is quirky but extremely helpful. It will repeat the last action you took, whether that be formatting or deleting text. For example, let’s say you have several headings in a paper you want to be a different font, color, and size than the rest of the text. Instead of manually changing the properties of each line, do it for the first one, then simply highlight the next head and press F4 to apply the same formatting. Its closest ribbon is probably the format painter.

Word will auto-format common superscript uses (such as dates) but when you need to do it manually, use CTRL + = to subscript highlighted text, or CTRL + SHIFT + = to make it a superscript.

When you insert a URL, Word will automatically turn it into a hyperlink and make it blue. You might not want this on formal documents like resumes, so use CTRL + SHIFT + F9 to remove any hyperlinks in text.

Try CTRL + 0 to hide a column, or CTRL + 9 to hide a row. You can unhide anything hidden by this shortcut using CTRL + Shift + 0/9, but it may require a weird workaround due to Windows keyboard settings. If you can’t use that method, the sequence ALT > H > O > U > L will do the same thing.

The SUM function is common, and you can use ALT + = to automatically apply SUM to any highlighted cells.

CTRL + Arrow Keys is an interesting one; it will warp in the direction you choose, stopping when it hits a blank space if you start in a filled cell. If you start in a blank cell, it will stop when it hits one that isn’t blank. You can use it to quickly jump to the furthest regions of Excel!

Similarly, CTRL + Shift + * will select the current range – this means all directions from the current cell until it hits the edge of the worksheet or a completely blank row or column. It sounds a bit weird, but try it out and you’ll understand.

Note that since PowerPoint’s editor view shares many of its shortcuts with Word (try any of the above in PowerPoint!), this section will focus on shortcuts while presenting your slides.

CTRL + M will add a new slide in the editor.

Press CTRL + Shift + D to duplicate the current slide.

Press F5 to launch a slideshow from the beginning, or CTRL + Shift + F5 to start from the current slide.

To jump to a certain slide while presenting, press a number and then Enter.

If there’s ever an emergency with a slide or you quickly need to black out the display to keep everyone’s focus, press B to display a blank black slide. Press it again to return to where you were. If you prefer a white slide, use W instead.

The only thing more disappointing about how poorly this PowerPoint explains the program is knowing it took this exec 3 months to create it.

Get Your Shortcut On

A lot of shortcuts are represented here, but they’re not too much for you to learn! You’ve probably recognized functions you use every day in this list; commit those to memoryMemorize Anything Using Active Recall MemoryMemorize Anything Using Active Recall MemoryYour memory sucks, but it's nothing you can't improve. Whether you're trying to learn a language, geography or even basic programming skills, active recall learning lets you commit details to memory.Read More and watch your productivity soar. There’s no shame in keeping this list open for a while until you can recall them at any time.

A full-time writer, Ben is at his happiest when he's working with technology and able to help others. He loves discussing and playing video games, and hosted his own podcast in years past. Feel free to contact him on social media!